This invention relates generally to exercise machines and more particularly to a folding elliptical exercise machine having foldable pedal arms that can be moved to an upright position for storage and portability.
Elliptical exercise machines are known which included a crank pulley rotatably mounted on a frame and having crank arms extending outwardly therefrom. Attached to distal ends of the crank arms are rearwardly extending pedal arms on which a user stands and alternates his or her weight in a stepping motion to rotate the crank pulley and the position of the user's feet. Due to the geometry of the pedal arms extending rewardly from the crank arms, a user standing in fixed positions on the pedal arms will have his or her feet move in a generally elliptical pattern, as viewed from the side. This motion simulates a walking or running motion and yet provides continuous foot and leg support for the user to minimize detrimental foot and leg impact.
Other types of elliptical exercise machines are known which have pedal arms that extend forward from a crank pulley and the user stands on the pedal arms facing in a direction away from the crank pulley. To maintain the user's balance and to maintain a substantially level foot support surface, the distal ends of the pedal arms must be supported on inclined planes joined to a frame supporting the elliptical machine. Further, handle bars must be positioned on the opposite end of the machine from the mechanism. Such an arrangement is complicated, heavy, and very difficult to move due to the weight of the frame and the size of the device has a whole.
Crank pulleys can be connected to an alternator or fly wheel to maintain momentum or constant speed for the exercise machine. With either option, having the pedal arms supported on a complicated frame as described above adds to the difficulty in moving the elliptical exercise machine. Portability and space constraints are critical factors in the home exercise machine market and, thus the prior art machine arrangement is not conducive to home exercise machine sales.
Other elliptical exercise machines are designed to be collapsible by folding down the upper portions of the frame, the handle bars, and the pedal arms to a low position so that the machine can then be moved to a storage location. With such a collapsible design, there is no reduction in floor space requirements when the machine is folded so the machine must be moved to a storage location to obtain the benefits of the collapsible design.
Thus, there is in need for a portable elliptical motion exercise machine having folding pedal arms and related frame components to minimize storage space requirements and render the exercise machine portable.